impulse! (jazz label active during the 60s‐70s, now property of Universal Music Group, mainly used as a reissue label)

~ Label

Annotation

"The new wave of jazz is on impulse!"

One of the mythic names in the jazz industry, impulse! has been known as "the house that Trane built".
The first activity period under ABC is the glorious one - covering the 60s until 1974 - with an emphasis on free jazz.
New production eventually faded out during the late 70s, though ABC continued to print reissues.
Sold to MCA in 1979, it was almost silent until being folded in under GRP in 1990, which eventually became the Verve Music Group. It has since been mainly reissuing its own stuff only - with a few exceptions: a handful of remix releases and commercial jazz stuff, a few new releases by artists with ties to the former impulse!, and a serie of new compilations and anthology box sets.
This reissue campaign intensified starting 1995, with enhanced/remastered reissues, etc.

Sleeves have a distinctive black and orange design, and sparse liner notes.
Note the label name is correctly capped as "impulse!" (see logos for symetry between "i" and "!").
Catalog numbers were as follow:
* First period: A # (mono) AS # (stereo) AQ # (quadraphonic, not all releases) with # from 1 to 100, then appending a 9 (eg: 9101 up to 9361). Two discs sets used an additional /2. There is a promotional (AS 1974) as well, and a rare 29000 serie (29065 to 29073)
* 1980s: MCD, MCAD
* 1991-1995: prefix GRD optionally followed by one digit (number of discs in the set) followed by a three digit catalog number. Example: GRD2113 (3 discs set)
* 1995-1999: prefix IMPD optionally followed by one digit (number of discs in the set) followed by a three digit catalog number. Example: IMPD8280 (8 discs set)
* 1999-2003: used a subset of the barcode. Example 3145479582 for 731454795821
* 2003-*: prefix B, followed by three zeros, followed by a four digits cat #, followed by 02 for CD, 16 for SACD. Example: B000427002
* some rare Universal Japanese release used cat # like UCCI-####

For a more indepth history, you may consult The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records, Ashley Kahn, 2006, W.W. Norton.

Yet unconfirmed:
Note that there appear to exist 7" EP releases for some (?) of the 12".
Currently spotted: at ebay at discogs
Or even reel-2-reel EPs: at ebay
They don't seem to bear a distinctive cat #...
More:
at ebay
at ebay
Shirley Scott Everybody...

Notes:
Don't forget to sort out the Jasmine reissues.

Annotation last modified on 2007-07-12 11:19 UTC.

Releases

ReleaseArtistFormatTracksCountry/DateCatalog#Barcode
Let's GoRay Charles7" Vinyl2
45-200[none]
The Blues and the Abstract Truth (original stereo release)Bill Evans, Roy Haynes, Eric Dolphy, Oliver Nelson, Paul Chambers, Freddie Hubbard12" Vinyl6
A-5-S, STEREO A-5[none]
Greensleeves (mono)John Coltrane Quartet7" Vinyl2
45-203[none]
The Great Kai & J.J.Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson12" Vinyl11
A 1
Genius + Soul = JazzRay Charles12" Vinyl10
A 2
The Incredible Kai Winding TrombonesKai Winding12" Vinyl10
A 3
Out of the CoolThe Gil Evans OrchestraVinyl5
A 4
Africa/BrassJohn Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl3
A 6
Art Blakey & The Jazz MessengersArt Blakey & The Jazz Messengers12" Vinyl6
A-7
Percussion Bitter SweetMax RoachVinyl6
A 8
The Great Kai & J.J.Kai Winding & J.J. Johnson12" Vinyl11
AS 1
Genius + Soul = JazzRay Charles12" Vinyl10
AS 2
The Incredible Kai Winding TrombonesKai WindingVinyl10
AS 3
Out of the CoolThe Gil Evans Orchestra12" Vinyl5
AS 4
Africa/BrassJohn Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl3
AS 6
Africa/BrassThe John Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl3
AS-6
Art Blakey & The Jazz MessengersArt Blakey & The Jazz MessengersVinyl6
AS 7
Percussion Bitter SweetMax Roach12" Vinyl6
AS 8
Percussion Bitter SweetMax Roach12" Vinyl6
AS-8
Further DefinitionsBenny Carter and His Orchestra12" Vinyl8
A-12[none]
Desafinado (mono)Coleman Hawkins12" Vinyl8
A 28[none]
After Six / Before SixLarry FrazierVinyl2
45-205[none]
Limbo JazzDuke Ellington And His Orchestra7" Vinyl2
45-210
"Live" at the Village VanguardJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl3
A 10[none]
The QuintessenceQuincy Jones and His OrchestraVinyl8
A 11
Further DefinitionsBenny Carter and His Orchestra12" Vinyl8
A 12
Soul TromboneCurtis FullerVinyl6
A 13
StatementsMilt Jackson12" Vinyl8
A 14
Count Basie and the Kansas City 7Count Basie and the Kansas City 7Vinyl8
A 15
It's TimeMax RoachVinyl6
A 16
The Song Is Paris (mono)Jackie Paris12" Vinyl11
A 17
InceptionMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl6
A 18
Jazz Goes to the Movies (mono)Manny AlbamVinyl9
A 19
2 3 4Shelly Manne12" Vinyl6
A 20
ColtraneJohn Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl5
A 21
Cabin in the SkyCurtis FullerVinyl10
A 22
Out of the AfternoonRoy Haynes Quartet12" Vinyl7
A 23, A-23[none]
Alarums and ExcursionsMichael BrownVinyl12
A 24
MoralityOscar BrandVinyl13
A 25
The Blues and the Abstract Truth (mono reissue)Oliver Nelson12" Vinyl6
A 5[none]
Into the Hot (stereo)The Gil Evans Orchestra12" Vinyl6
A-9, A-9-S[none]
"Live" at the Village VanguardJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl3
AS 10[none]
The QuintessenceQuincy Jones and His Orchestra12" Vinyl8
AS 11
Further DefinitionsBenny Carter and His OrchestraVinyl8
AS 12
Soul TromboneCurtis FullerVinyl6
AS 13
StatementsMilt Jackson12" Vinyl8
AS 14
Count Basie and the Kansas City 7Count Basie and the Kansas City 7Vinyl8
AS 15
It's TimeMax RoachVinyl6
AS 16
The Song Is ParisJackie Paris12" Vinyl11
AS 17
InceptionMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl6
AS 18
Jazz Goes to the MoviesManny Albam and His OrchestraCD9
AS -19[none]
Jazz Goes to the Movies (stereo)Manny AlbamVinyl9
AS 19
2 3 4Shelly ManneVinyl6
AS 20
ColtraneJohn Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl5
AS 21
Cabin in the SkyCurtis FullerVinyl10
AS 22
Out of the AfternoonRoy Haynes QuartetVinyl7
AS 23
Alarums and ExcursionsMichael BrownVinyl12
AS 24
MoralityOscar BrandVinyl13
AS 25
Duke Ellington Meets Coleman HawkinsDuke Ellington meets Coleman Hawkins12" Vinyl8
AS 26[none]
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Original stereo release)Charles Mingus12" Vinyl4
AS 35[none]
Duke Ellington Meets Coleman HawkinsDuke Ellington & Coleman HawkinsVinyl8
A 26
The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard (mono)Freddie Hubbard12" Vinyl5
A 27[none]
Passin' ThruChico HamiltonVinyl6
A 29
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Mono release)Duke Ellington & John Coltrane12" Vinyl7
A 30[none]
George Wein & The Newport All-Stars (mono)George Wein & The Newport All-Stars12" Vinyl8
A 31
Ballads (mono)John Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl8
A 32
Reaching FourthMcCoy Tyner Trio12" Vinyl6
A 33[none]
Today and Now (mono)Coleman Hawkins Quartet12" Vinyl7
A-34[none]
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Original mono release)Charles Mingus12" Vinyl4
A 35[none]
Americans in Europe, Volume 1Various Artists12" Vinyl6
A 36
Americans in Europe, Volume 2Various Artists12" Vinyl7
A 37[none]
Nights of Ballads and BluesMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl8
A 39[none]
John Coltrane and Johnny HartmanJohn Coltrane and Johnny Hartman12" Vinyl6
A 40
Cleopatra Feelin' JazzyPaul GonsalvesVinyl7
A 41
ImpressionsJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl4
A 42[none]
Now!Sonny Stitt12" Vinyl8
A-43
Salt and PepperSonny Stitt & Paul Gonsalves12" Vinyl5
A-52
My Fair Lady Loves JazzBilly Taylor Trio12" Vinyl8
A-72[none]
The Artistry of Freddie HubbardFreddie Hubbard12" Vinyl5
AS 27[none]
Desafinado (stereo)Coleman Hawkins12" Vinyl8
AS-28[none]
Passin' ThruChico HamiltonVinyl6
AS 29
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Stereo release)Duke Ellington & John Coltrane12" Vinyl7
AS 30[none]
George Wein & The Newport All-Stars (stereo)George Wein & The Newport All-StarsVinyl8
AS 31
Ballads (stereo)John Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl8
AS 32
Reaching FourthMcCoy Tyner Trio12" Vinyl6
AS 33[none]
Today and Now (stereo)Coleman Hawkins Quartet12" Vinyl7
AS-34[none]
Americans in Europe, Volume 1Various ArtistsVinyl6
AS 36
Americans in Europe, Volume 2Various Artists12" Vinyl7
AS 37[none]
The Body & The Soul (stereo)Freddie Hubbard12" Vinyl9
AS 38[none]
Nights of Ballads and BluesMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl8
AS 39[none]
John Coltrane and Johnny HartmanJohn Coltrane and Johnny Hartman12" Vinyl6
AS 40
Cleopatra Feelin' JazzyPaul GonsalvesVinyl7
AS 41
ImpressionsJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl4
AS 42
Now!Sonny Stitt12" Vinyl8
AS-43[none]
Into the Hot (stereo)The Gil Evans Orchestra12" Vinyl6
AS 9[none]
BalladsJohn Coltrane QuartetReel-to-reel8
ITC 306
The Body & The Soul (mono)Freddie Hubbard12" Vinyl9
A 38[none]
Gordon Jenkins Presents My Wife the Blues SingerBeverly Jenkins12" Vinyl10
A 44
A Jazz MessageArt Blakey Quartet12" Vinyl6
A 45[none]
Point of DepartureGary McFarland12" Vinyl7
A 46